


Intimacy

by WestEndBroadwayBaby



Category: NCIS
Genre: First Time, M/M, Oral Sex, Rope Bondage, Slow Burn, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:07:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WestEndBroadwayBaby/pseuds/WestEndBroadwayBaby
Summary: It took time - and an unlikely prompt - for Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee to realize what they meant to one another.





	1. Question-and-answer time

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Musichick2004 for the artwork, and for being a magnificent muse and beta reader.
> 
> Written for the 2017 NCIS Big Bang Challenge.

  


A pattern had been emerging for months, but it took an offensive question from a teenager for the two seasoned investigators to recognize it.

McGee, unafraid of appearing geeky, overeager or both, had volunteered to do a Q&A on an NCIS open day for 11th-graders. Tony, to McGee's surprise, had offered to join him. Tony had claimed - seemingly unironically - that his presence would help to show that "all different kinds of people" could be special agents.

On the day, McGee and Tony ended up in a small room with 32 restless teenagers. The students had just had a tour of the NCIS facilities at the Navy Yard, followed by three short and particularly dry lectures about NCIS, its history, and the work done by the agency. Tony and Tim were now the only thing standing between the students and their lunch.

McGee presented three slightly fictionalized case studies. He spent exactly six minutes (using the stopwatch function on his phone, naturally) talking through the key facts of each case and a simplified - or, if he was being honest with himself, sanitized - version of the investigation and its outcome. After his wrap-up, Tim opened up the floor for five minutes of questions.

After a full 53 seconds of silence, a kid slouching in the back corner of the room spoke up.

"You say that you have each other's ‘six’ in the field no matter what." It wasn't a question, but the student clearly expected a response.

"Yes." Tony and Tim answered in unison. 

"And that you'd do anything for your partner." Still no question, but the student again seemed to expect a response.

Tim and Tony again answered in unison, although this time Tim said "Absolutely" while Tony said "Of course".

"Isn't that a bit gay?"

About a quarter of the students chuckled, while others just watched carefully - whether in horror or out of curiosity - to see how the agents would react to the question.

After a quick exchange of glances between the two agents in which Tim silently communicated that he would speak first, Tim addressed the student.

"What we are here is professional. We do whatever needs to be done to ensure that our fellow agents are safe, and to help one another in whatever way is needed.” There were a few titters from a handful of students, but Tim proceeded, with a very firm tone. “Of course agents are human beings, with human feelings, but we have important work to do. Sexual or romantic urges, whether gay, straight or otherwise, can't come into play when there is a job to be done. Likewise, we can't suddenly act like adolescents if we find ourselves in a situation that involves physical contact. Lives may be - and frequently are - at stake; we have to work together as a team."

Tim continued. "And I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, and assume that your question was not intended to be homophobic. However, I should warn you that it could easily have been interpreted in that way. And homophobia is not acceptable at NCIS."

Tony stayed uncharacteristically silent and serious through Tim's response, studying the students' faces. It would have been very easy for Tony to diffuse the awkwardness in the room with a jokey response, but Tim's response had been articulate and downright classy. And - just as in the field - Tim had let his audience see a hint of just how fierce he could be when necessary.

Instead of making his own comments on the topic, Tony sought out new questions, noting that three minutes of Q&A remained. The few additional queries were more standard fare, about guns, ships and an inevitable giggly question about strip searches.

Neither Tim nor Tony mentioned that first question after the session, or indeed for several weeks thereafter. Tim had handled the question effectively, and the discussion had quickly moved on; however, both agents found themselves silently considering the nature of their relationship in light of the student’s comment.


	2. A night out

If they had compared notes after the fateful Q&A - which they most certainly did not do - Tony and Tim probably would have agreed that they had first started to open up to one another during a particularly odd Friday night some six months earlier. 

After several long and intense days of work on a murder investigation, things had finally calmed down enough for the team to plan a Friday night out. Abby had booked a large corner booth in their current favourite hangout, and the whole MCRT had agreed to head over for 7 p.m., along with Jimmy, Ducky and a couple of members of Balboa's team. 

Just as everyone was about to leave the bullpen, Gibbs took a call on his cell. After a few minutes in which he – as usual – said very little, Gibbs hung up and looked at the expectant faces of the others. 

"Fornell needs a fresh set of eyes on something. I'll try to catch up with you a bit later." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "McGee, could you stick around for a few minutes?"

McGee nodded, putting his go bag back on the floor while the rest of the team headed out.

Nearly three hours had passed when McGee finally joined the team. McGee could hear the group's laughter the moment he opened the door, despite the three or four dozen people standing between him and his colleagues. Tim made his way across the crowded room and slipped into the booth beside Tony. He had just managed to eat two wings and take a first big sip of his beer when his phone rang. 

"Hi Gibbs… No, I just got here… Sure. I can be there in 25." Tim looked defeated, but he was managing to sound very positive on the phone. "Ok, boss. See you there."

"Sorry. Emergency on this thing with Fornell. Next time...." Tim got up to leave.

"What about the rest of us, Probie?" Tony asked the question teasingly, feigning great offense.

Tim simply looked at the array of empty glasses on the table with a raised eyebrow. 

Ziva smiled. "You make a good point, McGee."

Tim swiftly said his goodbyes and headed off. After a quick apologetic glance to the others, Tony followed Tim out to the street, where he was opening an app to order a taxi. 

With a big smile, Tony firmly but gently grabbed Tim's phone from him. "I'll drive."

"How many drinks have you had, Tony? You've been in there almost two and a half hours." 

"I’ve been drinking rum and Coke. Without the rum."

"What?" Tim looked confused.

"It looks the same. And no one notices that you're actually sober once they're not sober." Tony paused. "But you won't tell _them_ that, right?"

"Right...." Tim could now see that Tony was telling the truth, but he still wasn't quite sure how to deal with that information.

Tony smirked ever so slightly. "You know I'm a master of undercover work." 

Tim simply raised his eyebrows.

"I've heard you admit it to other people when you didn't know I could hear." Tony paused before smiling brightly. "So just treat this as special undercover skill."

Tim stared at Tony, considering how to respond.

"Let's get in my car and head to the Yard. Or to wherever we need to go. You can fill me in on the way." Tony paused, and flinched slightly. "And if it's important to you, I'll explain. But not while we're on our way to a scene."

The FBI investigation kept Tim and Tony busy until nearly 3 a.m. They were exhausted, but Tim still hadn't eaten and Tony was hungry again. Tony drove McGee home, stopping at a Beltway Burger drive-thru on the way. McGee offered Tony his couch for the night and Tony gratefully accepted. 

As they ate their meals at Tim's small table, McGee tentatively broached the subject of their earlier conversation.

"You said that you'd explain if it was important to me."

"Yup." Tony looked up from his burger and over at McGee.

"It is." Tim paused. "Important to me."

Tony winced slightly. "It's pretty simple, really. We all rebel in some way, right?"

"So they say."

"Drinking is what the adults did in my family, and they wanted me to do it because it made me like them. It actually made them noticeably uncomfortable if I refused to join in. So my rebellion took the form of refusing to drink." 

Tim considered this quietly. "Okay."

Tony looked Tim right in the eyes, with an expression that Tim thought might have been the most honest look Tony had ever given him. He continued, quietly. "Even more than that, though, knowing what Senior was like when he drank was enough to put me off for life."

Tim wasn't sure what he could - or should - say in response. He focused on his food while Tony likewise concentrated on his burger.

With a gleam in his eye, Tony broke the slightly awkward silence. "Anyhow, it's amazing what people will tell you when they think you'll forget the whole conversation by morning." He took another bite before continuing. “And it’s amazing how much I can get done by not having to worry about hangovers, headaches and all that crap.”

Tim smiled and carried on eating. And given the very late hour, the conversation quickly turned to practical considerations for the following morning.

Tim was much more aware, going forward, of Tony’s actions where alcohol was involved and of the emotional hurt underlying Tony’s behavior. Tim also started noticing other ways in which Tony hid or downplayed his serious side, or how hard he actually worked.


	3. A not-so-straightforward arrest

A number of weeks after the aborted team night out, Tony literally found himself in Tim’s arms.

The MCRT had been brought into a particularly dull investigation of some financial irregularities after a senior officer had called in a favor. After two days of unremarkable interviews to establish the facts and timeline, Tim had quite easily gathered abundant digital evidence that Petty Officer Janet Stone had been stealing sums of money over a period of years through some manoeuvres with the procurement system with which she worked. Legal had obtained the necessary warrants, and the team had set off for Stone’s small house off-base to carry out the arrest and search the premises.

There was no reason to expect that the arrest would be anything other than routine. Stone did not appear to have become aware of the investigation, she had no criminal record and there was nothing in her service record to suggest that she might become violent.

Tony and Tim drove the MCRT van to Stone’s house while Gibbs and Ziva drove a sedan. 

“So if I’ve got this right, Millman’s team spent four weeks on this and then you just went ahead, spent a couple of hours on your computer and solved the whole case overnight?”

“Not exactly, Tony.”

“Something like that, though?”

“I suppose. The evidence was right there, if you knew how and where to look.”

“And now we get to go in and execute the world’s most boring arrest. It’s hardly worth getting up for.” 

“You never know, Tony. She could have anything in there. Or anyone.”

“Good point, McGee. Maybe we’ll find some nuclear weapons, and a dead body or two, a meth lab, and -”

“We’re here.”

The two parked behind the sedan, just out of sight of the house. 

Following the agreed plan, Tony and Tim approached the front door while Gibbs and Ziva covered the back and sides of the house. Once everyone was in place, Tony called out to announce the agency’s presence and ask Stone to surrender. After briefly waiting in vain for an answer, Tony and Tim gained access and entered the house. 

The two men split up and cleared the ground and upper floors, finding no one and nothing of interest. While Tim stuck to a simple “Clear!” over the comms every time he finished searching a room, Tony - frustrated and apparently trying to lighten the mood - started commenting on the decor in the various rooms. 

After a few minutes, only the basement remained unchecked. Tony opened the door leading down from the main hallway, and Tim followed him down the narrow staircase into the basement. The two were just staring to check the various basement rooms when they were suddenly hit by noxious smoke coming from the direction of the staircase. Tony, his run-in with the plague still very fresh in his memory, was closer to the source, and was hit harder than Tim by the smoke. His breath quickly became noticeably labored, and he appeared to be struggling to see. 

Unable to reach the stairs in safety, Tim quickly pulled Tony into a small basement room that he had already cleared, closing the door and barricading it with a cabinet. As he did so, he could hear Ziva tackling Stone, who was trying to flee via the back door. Removing the barricade, but keeping the door firmly shut to try to keep the smoke out, Tim then updated Gibbs and Ziva over the comms, asking them to summon urgent medical help along with other backup. 

Tony was still using up a lot of energy as he tried to breathe and to see, and there was very little that Tim could do to improve the situation. Tim cleared a spot on the floor and then masterfully eased Tony down onto the floor with him, all the while trying to keep his own breathing as steady as possible. 

Tony was wheezing violently, putting all of his energy into trying to get some air. Concerned, Tim leaned back against the wall and then carefully moved Tony a bit more. Holding Tony’s head against his chest, Tim quickly but carefully worked to clear the residue of the irritant from around Tony's nose and mouth, using the relatively clean lining of his NCIS jacket. Tim then cradled Tony in his arms, continuing to rest Tony's head against his chest as he gently stroked Tony's shoulders and back.

Tim and Tony stayed this way for several minutes - though it seemed like hours as Tony struggled to breathe normally - with Tim holding Tony close and trying to soothe him as they listened on their earpieces to Gibbs and Ziva handling Stone and directing the paramedics to Tony. When they were joined by the paramedics, Tony seemed very reluctant to let go, so Tim stayed with Tony, offering quiet reassurance and making sure that the everyone understood Tony's unusual medical history.

Tim rode in the ambulance to Bethesda, and remained with Tony through the next several hours, until he was finally given the all-clear. Fortunately, Tony was soon found to be free of any long-term damage, although Dr. Pitt insisted that a follow-up appointment would be necessary. And neither Tony nor Tim spoke again about the minutes that Tim had spent comforting his SFA, although neither one forgot the incident.


	4. Tim the convalescent

Not long after the operation at Petty Officer Stone’s home, and only weeks before the session with the high-school students, it was Tim’s turn to be injured in the line of duty. He was shot during a joint operation with the FBI; fortunately, the shot was a through-and-through that was unlikely to have serious long-term effects. After ensuring that the wounds had been treated and that Tim had the necessary prescriptions, the ER doctor had agreed to release Tim from the hospital on the condition that he would have someone staying with him at all times for the first 72 hours.

Gibbs and DiNozzo had taken Tim home to his apartment together, so that Tim could stay off his feet completely on the journey up to the apartment from the car. Tony had then gone home to get some rest, returning the following morning to stay with Tim while Gibbs met with the Director and Fornell.

Tim woke mid-morning to find Tony sitting on a chair beside the bed. Tony was softly stroking Tim’s hair. “Morning McGee. I’m afraid I had to wake you. Time for more meds!”

Tony helped Tim into a semi-seated position and then handed Tim two pills before helping him to drink some water. Tim gave Tony a thankful look as Tony lowered him back down.

“I’ll just be in the other room. Call out if you need anything at all. I’ll wake you again in four hours, and we can see if you’re up for some food.” 

Tim nodded sleepily.

Four hours later, true to his word, Tony returned to his chair by the bed and again gently woke Tim. Tim looked considerably less pale this time. Once he had taken in his surroundings, Tim sniffed the air suspiciously. “Did you order in? Did I sleep through the buzzer?”

Tony smiled. “I made us lunch.”

“You what?”

“I made us lunch. I do know how to cook, you know. And I had time while you were napping.”

Tim looked at him. “Since when do you know how to cook, Mr. takeout-three-times-a-day?”

“Since I used to hide out in the kitchen as a child, with my father’s cook. She figured that while I was there, I might as well learn something. I might even have enjoyed it.” Tony paused. “So if you’ll stay right here…” Tim raised an eyebrow, questioning where exactly he would go. “…I’ll bring in a tray for you in a moment.” 

Tim nodded.

“Do you want me to help you to take a bathroom break first?”

“Um…” Tim looked at Tony awkwardly.

“First questions first. Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

Tim answered quietly. “Yeah.”

“Will you let me help to get you there and back?”

“I guess.”

“And help you in there?”

“You really don’t need to do that.” Tim was starting to look anxious.

“I don’t want you to fall in!” Tim seemed to appreciate Tony’s very weak attempt at humour. “And you’d do the same for me, so don’t give me that look.”

Tony brought Tim’s desk chair into the bedroom, and used it to wheel Tim into the bathroom. He then helped Tim onto the toilet before stepping out of the room for a moment. When Tim called out that he was ready, Tony helped him to wash his hands before wheeling Tim back to the bed - with a tiny bit of creative driving for Tim’s amusement - and getting Tim settled in a seated position supported by lots of pillows (including a few extra pillows that seemed to have appeared while Tim was in the bathroom).

Tony returned to the bedroom a few minutes later with a bed tray containing a number of enticing-looking small dishes and an empty plate. When Tim looked at him questioningly, Tony explained. “I knew I was going to be here for the day, and that you’d be sleeping a lot, so I picked up supplies on my way here this morning. And I wanted you to have plenty of choice, so I made a few different things. There’s more of everything. You can have seconds of anything that you like now, and I can wrap the rest up for you to have later.” 

Tim smiled a little. 

“We have four-cheese macaroni and cheese, red cabbage salad, roast duck, steamed greens, glazed carrots, leek soup, and fresh-baked rolls.”

Tim’s eyes widened.

“Would you be ok with a bit of company?”

Tim looked confused.

“Because if it’s cool, I’ll bring the other tray in here and we can have lunch together. Very civilized!” 

Tim smiled and nodded, so Tony headed back to the kitchen, returning with a second tray. 

“Is it ok if I sit with you?”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

“I mean sit up on the bed, with my tray.”

“Of course.”

Tony carefully eased himself into a sitting position on top of the covers next to Tim, and they proceeded to have a very leisurely lunch. Once Tim had sampled all of the dishes, he spoke again.

“You’re a man of many secrets, Tony.” Tim paused. “But now that the cat’s out of the bag, I really hope that I don’t have to get shot again before I get treated to more of this.”

“Of course not, Probie. Cooking is the least that I can do.” Tony paused. “But please don’t tell the others. I have an image to uphold!”

Tony’s tone was playful, but even in with all of the drugs in his system Tim could hear vulnerability in his words.


	5. “Will you miss me, Probie?”

A few weeks after the session with the students, Vance called Gibbs and DiNozzo into MTAC for an urgent meeting. They emerged about 45 minutes later to find McGee and Ziva eager for updates and a bit upset not to have been included in the session.

Ziva managed to hold in her curiosity for less than a minute once Tony was back at his desk. “Well?”

“My reputation clearly precedes me, Ziva.” Tony smiled a broad, almost-sincere smile. “And my very special undercover skills are going to be put back into use.” He paused and rubbed his hands with relish. “Military-grade weapons, senior naval officers (we think), and lots and lots of cash. What’s not to love?”

“Losing you from the team until the operation’s over?” Tim tried to match Tony’s facetious tone, but there was some pain in the question.

“Will you miss me, Probie?”

“I agree that you’re the right person for the job, Tony, but yes, I will miss you. It’s not the same around here when you’re off doing undercover work.”

“You will miss me.”

“Yes, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting it.” He paused. “And anyway, it’s a lot harder to watch your six when you’re out on an undercover mission.”

Tim’s delivery was utterly professional, but Tony couldn’t help but wonder whether there wasn’t a hint of affection - or even, heaven forbid, innuendo - in Tim’s words.


	6. A traffic stop

The undercover operation ended up dragging on for several weeks, during which time Tony insinuated himself into a group of weapons dealers who somehow had access to military-issue equipment. Tony was playing the role of a go-between who could open up distribution avenues in the Midwest.

There was a lot of risk in the operation, especially since no one was sure quite who was involved on the military side. As a result, Tony reached a point at which he had had no direct contact with the team for eight days in a row; instead, he had had to trust that surveillance was being carried out successfully and that backup would be available if and when needed. 

It was a cold but sunny Tuesday morning when Tony learned that he would finally be meeting the group’s main supplier. At around 9:00 a.m., his key contact asked Tony to meet him in the parking lot of a large mall in northern Virginia 45 minutes later, so that they could head to the meeting together.

Tony would have been relieved – though probably not surprised – to know that his colleagues had managed to capture the communications setting up this meeting, and had organised full surveillance for it. However, Tony had no way of knowing that Tim, with Abby’s help, had also managed to intercept other communications that finally revealed the location of the meeting as well as who else would be attending it. The new military link was a fairly senior officer at Quantico who just happened to have been a witness in a murder case handled by the MCRT the previous year. The team was therefore desperate to extricate Tony from the situation before any tip-off - or any physical harm to Tony.

Tony was already at the parking lot when Tim made his discovery, so there was no easy way of getting him out. Instead, the team had to be quick and creative.

Tony’s contact had insisted that Tony leave his car behind at the mall and ride with him to the meeting. Tony and the contact had been driving away from the metro area for about twenty minutes when the car’s radar detector started beeping. Moments later, they passed what looked like an unmarked police sedan parked on the side of the highway; the next thing they knew, the car had pulled out and was chasing them with lights and sirens.

“What the fuck?” Tony twisted around to try to get a better view through the back window before looking over to his contact. “How fast were we going?”

Tony’s companion didn’t answer. The car quickly caught up with them, and the contact pulled over, gritting his teeth. As the two waited for something to happen, the contact replied to Tony’s question. “Not that fast. And what’s taking them so long? We’re on a schedule here!”

They waited what felt like several minutes, but was probably about 30 seconds, before an officer got out of the unmarked car and started to approach theirs. Tony recognised the man as Gibbs a few seconds before he arrived at the driver’s window and started to speak to them. Living up to his reputation as a master of undercover work, Tony maintained a neutral – or perhaps slightly impatient – expression.

“I need to see your license and registration, sir.” Gibbs was a natural in the role of gruff cop. “But keep your hands where I can see them.” Gibbs then briefly turned his attention to Tony. “You too: hands where I can see them, and no sudden movements.”

The driver calmly and slowly reached across for the glove compartment, while Tony quietly sat back in his seat with his hands out in front of him. Tony observed Gibbs, while at the same time feigning a combination of nonchalance and impatience. Gibbs glanced at the driver’s papers, but then very obviously studied Tony for a moment before straightening and turning to nod at the colleague he had left behind in the unmarked car. Moments later, the car was being approached by a second person, who was moving up along the passenger side with his weapon drawn.

Gibbs looked the driver right in the eye and his tone became much more aggressive. “Hands on the wheel.” Gibbs then smoothly drew his weapon and trained it on the driver.

Almost immediately, the passenger door was being opened and the other officer was training his SIG on Tony. While Tony knew that it was McGee, neither one acknowledged any recognition of the other. In a threatening tone, McGee ordered Tony to exit the car, warning Tony to move very slowly and keep his hands in sight. 

As soon as Tony’s feet were on the ground, McGee grabbed Tony’s shoulder and pushed him toward the car, yelling at Tony to put his hands on the roof and spread his legs. Tony complied, with a bit of attitude, and McGee kicked his legs a bit further apart. 

McGee then had Tony stay in that position for a few minutes, McGee standing behind him with his gun trained on Tony, while Gibbs extracted the driver from the car and got him handcuffed and sitting on the roadside. While Gibbs provided cover from a short distance, McGee then proceeded with Tony.

“Anthony Dalton.” McGee said the name of Tony’s undercover persona with considerable contempt as he holstered his weapon and drew nearer.

“What?” Tony’s tone was a mix of anger and impatience. “What’s this all about? Am I under arrest? Because if not, you need to let me go.”

“I don’t _need_ to do anything.” Tim kept moving forward until his feet were planted between Tony’s spread legs. He placed one hand firmly between Tony’s shoulder blades and pushed Tony’s chest up against the car before grabbing Tony’s arms roughly and cuffing his hands behind him. After stepping back slightly and once again placing his outstretched hand between Tony’s shoulder blades, Tim proceeded to ask if Tony had anything blades or needles on his person.

“Of course not! Why would I?” 

“You had better not be lying.” Tim did not answer Tony directly, instead starting to search Tony’s person very thoroughly, all in plain view of Tony’s contact. 

Although he had no way of knowing why this little scene was happening, Tony recognised the seriousness of the situation and committed wholeheartedly to giving his contact a good show. As Tim’s hands reached his hips, Tony ground back towards Tim’s crotch. “See? Nothing to find except a very nice ass, even if I do say so myself!”

Tim, for his part, refused to rise to the bait. He also managed not to uncover the knife that he knew was in Tony’s belt, even though he pulled up Tony’s shirt and made a show of feeling all around Tony’s midsection. Tim did, however, roughly remove the wallet that was tightly wedged in Tony’s back pocket - earning him an angry “Careful back there!” in the process - and then hand the licence to Gibbs. 

Once McGee seemed to have searched all of his body, Tony spoke again. “You never answered my question. Am I under arrest?”

Before Tim could answer, Gibbs responded. “Yes. There’s a federal warrant out for your arrest. So you’re coming with us.” Gibbs paused for a moment. “But your friend here can go.” 

McGee pulled Tony away from the car and marched him over to the Charger that he and Gibbs had used, shoving Tony into the backseat and then buckling him in place with the seatbelt. Tony had to wait uncomfortably for several minutes while Gibbs and McGee let the contact go with an informal warning for his speeding.

Once the contact was long out of sight, McGee finally returned to the Charger and unbuckled Tony’s seat belt and freed him from the handcuffs. McGee seemed slightly apprehensive, as though Tony might lash out at him for the rough treatment – or even just for cuffing and frisking him at all. But Tony gave McGee a warm grin and praise. “Nice work, Probie. Suitably badass. Now will one of you two please tell me what the hell is going on?”


	7. A revealing crime scene

Soon after the undercover operation ended, the MCRT was called to the home of a young Navy engineer in Quantico. The engineer had been stabbed to death. 

The team arrived a few minutes after Jimmy and Ducky, whom they found leaning over the body in the kitchen of the small apartment.

“What’ve we got, Duck?” Gibbs was all business.

“It’s most curious, Jethro. From a first glance, one would be forgiven for assuming death by exsanguination, as a direct consequence of the multiple deep stab wounds to our young engineer’s torso, through his clothing, which were most likely inflicted using the kitchen knife that is currently lying over here by the sink, covered in blood. It would be easy to construct a simple narrative in which he was caught by surprise by an intruder and stabbed at the location of the encounter.”

“But?” Tony and Gibbs prompted Ducky to continue almost in unison.

“However, it appears that the story might not be so simple after all. Our victim also has ligature marks on his wrists. And although I haven’t examined his whole body yet, I can see that he has imprints of rope near his neck and collarbone and on his ankles, underneath his socks. I imagine that you will wish to keep that in mind as you carry out your investigation.”

Ducky continued. “We will take the body with us as soon as you are ready for us to do so, and then I will of course report on my conclusions once the autopsy is complete.”

Gibbs thanked Ducky, and the team started investigating the scene in earnest. It was very soon evident that, other than fingerprints and trace evidence, there would not be much to find in the apartment. It was a simple one-bedroom unit, with a small bedroom and en-suite bathroom plus a living room separated from the kitchen by a high counter. Once the preliminary work was done, therefore, Gibbs and Ziva headed back to the Navy Yard to do some research and await Ducky’s full report, leaving Tim and Tony to complete their assessment of the scene.

Tony had pulled rank, taking the kitchen and living room for himself while Tim examined the bedroom and bathroom. After about 25 minutes, he joined Tim in the bedroom.

“Ready for some lunch, Probie? Continuing to investigate this place would seem to be a total waste of time.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Not so sure about lunch, or about the spectacular wealth of clues to be found in this apartment?”

“I think that the evidence here at least helps us to confirm what angle we don’t need to investigate.”

“It does?” Tony was not buying it.

“Think about it, Tony. There’s almost no furniture in the entire place, and the furniture that is here is almost all the cheapest assemble-at-home chipboard stuff that you can buy. But Brown has a fancy wooden bed with a whole row of sturdy wooden slats on the headboard and footboard.” Tim paused for a moment. “And a collection of rope in the chest at the foot of the bed, along with EMT shears.”

Tony stayed silent, exaggerating his impatience as he waited for Tim to get to the point.

Tim moved over to the head of the bed and lifted up an item with a gloved hand. “And then there’s the silk blindfold in the bedside table.”

“Wait a minute, McDirtyMind. That’s a sleep mask.”

Tim quirked an eyebrow at Tony. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Tony ignored the question. “And there are lots of innocent reasons why a sailor could have rope.”

“Maybe. But not in the bedroom. And not waxed shibari rope….” 

“Shi-what?”

“...wrapped up in a tenugui printed with an intricate pattern of phalluses..”

“Timmy.”

“Have you never done rope with anyone? Ever?”

Tony dodged the question, instead attempting to turn the tables. “Have you, McSweet-and-innocent?”

“Of course.” Tim did not hesitate for even a moment before answering the question. 

“Really?” Tony seemed genuinely surprised.

“I’m a scientist, Tony. Scientists experiment.”

“Oh.”

“Especially student ones. Isn’t that what college is for? Learning more about yourself in a nurturing environment?” Tim paused. “And with rope, there’s also the intellectual stimulation.” 

For once, Tony seemed to be at a loss for words.

Tim was too professional to let this digression distract him from proceeding with his analysis of the relevance of the items to the investigation. “Anyhow, a bedframe this fancy is unlikely to have resulted in better or more comfortable sleep than something much simpler, so long as the mattress and box spring were good. What it would have done, though, was make it easy for Brown to tie someone up - or be tied, depending on what they wanted at that moment - in many interesting and complex ways.”

Tony just stared at Tim, eyebrows raised.

Tim moved over to the headboard, running his fingers along the grooves that had been worn into the slats by rope. As he did so, he looked Tony directly in the eye. “If that sort of thing floats your boat, then it’s well worth having a bed that can take it, and that offers lots of possibilities.” 

“Excuse me?” Tony was trying to keep things light, but his curiosity was obvious.

“Rope is fun, Tony.” Tim gave Tony a look that could almost be characterized as one of sympathy. 

Tony remained uncharacteristically silent.

“You really should try it some time.” Tim paused and smiled, before quickly assuming a serious expression again. “But my point is that I think that we might need to consider that the ligature marks may not be directly related to the murder. It’s possible that there was rope play sometime shortly before Brown’s death. We’ll need to keep an open mind in that respect, and not let it distract us from finding out the relevant facts.”

Given that they were, after all, supposed to be investigating a homicide, Tony allowed the conversation to turn to the investigation, for the time being.

Tim continued. “We’ll need to take all of Brown’s rope in for Abby to test for DNA, just in case there is a link between the rope and the murder.” He paused. “And you may just have to learn a bit more about rope if Abby needs us to help her to recreate whatever it was that led to the marks on Brown’s body.”

Tim did not appear to be the least bit troubled by this possibility, but Tony’s reaction was hard to read.

“Nobody’s going to judge you for investigating a crime, Tony.” McGee looked at Tony encouragingly. “If anything, I thought you might enjoy the payback for that traffic stop while you were undercover.”


	8. Unconventional tactics

The team had been looking forward to a relatively laid-back Friday after a difficult murder investigation when a call came in regarding a violent attack against a drill sergeant in Norfolk. The case might not ordinarily have been referred to the MCRT, but an agent in the NCIS field office had noticed that it was the third attack in as many weeks, and that the level of violence seemed to be escalating. Gibbs sent Tony and Tim to Norfolk to liaise with the local NCIS team and start interviewing witnesses.

As Tim drove, Tony read through the small file that Vance had handed to them.

“There are no obvious links between the three victims. Two men and one woman, two African-American and one white, different ranks and duties.” 

Tim nodded as he continued to look at the road.

Tony continued. “All of them single, without children.” He paused. “And all unable to identify their attacker or offer any insights into the possible motive.”

“Perfect.” 

By the time the two arrived in Norfolk and had their initial briefing, the latest victim was in surgery. Tim and Tony interviewed the two earlier victims, but it quickly became clear that neither one had seen the attacker, and that neither one could offer any suggestions as to who might want to attack them. Frustrated, and a little bit tired, they headed over to interview the drill sergeant’s CO, who had been with the drill sergeant shortly before the attack.

“If this is another dead end, Probie, I am not going to be a happy camper.”

“And you think that I am?” Tim was trying to stay positive and cheerful, but it was difficult.

“Maybe we can charm some actual information out of Sergeant Henson. After all, I’m utterly charming.” Tony flashed a toothy grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You are.” Tim paused as he parked the car and reached for the door. “But much more so when you don’t try so hard.” Tim was out of the car and heading for the building before Tony could respond.

“McGee! What did I just hear you say?” Tony was rushing to catch up with Tim as he spoke, so it was hard to judge his tone. 

Before either one could say anything further, Sergeant Hanson was answering the door to the small outbuilding.

“Hello. I’m Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and this is my partner, Special Agent Timothy McGee.” Henson’s eyes darted between the two of them for a moment. “NCIS. I believe that you’re expecting us. We were hoping that we could ask you a few questions about the incident last night.”

“Come on in, agents.”

DiNozzo and McGee made themselves comfortable in Henson’s small office before proceeding with the interview.

“First of all, could you tell us about Sergeant Khan’s movements last night?”

“Sure, though there’s not much to tell. He came back to the office around 19:00, and then spent about 90 minutes doing paperwork before the two of us had a quick catch-up about some extraordinary training sessions due to take place next month.”

“Did he say anything about where he was going next?”

“No.”

“Do you have any idea where he might have been headed?”

“No. We have very different lives.”

“Did you notice anything unusual about him last night?”

“No more than on any other day.” Henson’s tone was fairly matter-of-fact, but the bite in her comment caught the attention of both agents.

“Meaning?” Tim asked the question as earnestly as possible.

“Times are changing. Some people clearly think that they can be their own person nowadays, even in the Corps.”

“And you?”

“I believe in discipline, and traditional values. Always have. The Corps is my life, and my family.”

“Understood.”

As Tim started to ask some questions about the geography of Khan’s movements immediately before the attack, he could see movement in the corner of his eye. To his great surprise, moments later Tony leaned over and deliberately but very gently stroked Tim’s hand before exaggeratedly pointing to something in Tim’s notes.

Henson’s eyes widened and her voice shifted audibly in response to this movement. Tim thought he detected the tiniest of smirks in Tony’s eyes as Tony took over the interview, asking a few more questions about the crime scene.

“And do you know if Khan had anyone special in his life?” Tony asked the question very neutrally.

“You mean a girlfriend?”

“A partner. Lover. Girlfriend. Boyfriend. Any or all of the above.”

The tension in the room increased yet again. “What kind of comment is that?”

Tony smiled his least genuine smile. “My partner did not mean to offend you.” He paused, and then gave Henson a knowing look. “He just got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning”. 

McGee gave Tony a withering look, but just before he did so, he saw Hanson’s expression again changing momentarily.

Tony followed up. “Did he have someone?”

Henson’s response was almost angry. “I wouldn’t know.”

Tony changed topics. “Would you be able to do a quick walk-through of the scene of the attack with us?”

“I’d be happy to go with you tomorrow, but right now I have a meeting in ten minutes that I cannot miss.”

“Let me just message the other agents and see if they have any photos.” Tim stepped away from Tony and Petty Officer Henson and started doing something with his phone.

Rejoining them a minute later, Tim held out his phone so that the Petty Officer could see the screen. “Do you recognize this parking lot?”

“Of course.”

“Does anything in the picture look unusual to you, or out of place?”

“No.”

“Do you recognize any of the items on the ground in the background?”

Henson scrutinized the screen for a moment. “No. Should I?”

“Not necessarily. But it’s best that we ask, just in case you do.” Tim scrolled through a few more photos of the crime scene. “Anything?”

“No.” 

Tim clicked the phone off and let his arm drop. “Thank you.” 

With the phone at his side but with the screen still in plain view, Tim casually tapped the phone, revealing a home screen photo of a shirtless Tony sunning himself on a beach, grinning lustily at the camera. Moments later - but after Henson had glanced at the screen - Tim clicked the phone back onto standby.

“And just to be thorough, could you please tell us your whereabouts during the attack on Sergeant Khan, and also on the afternoon of the 14th and the morning of the 20th?”

Henson was a bit too quick to respond, and her responses - which left her without a solid alibi for any of the three known attacks - raised all sorts of red flags.

The two agents ended the interview and headed back to the local NCIS office, waiting until they were safely out of earshot before calling ahead to set up 24-hour surveillance on Henson while they worked to gather enough evidence for an arrest. Only after the call had been made did they discuss what had happened during the interview.

“How did that picture end up on your phone, Probie?”

“I retrieved it from Facebook while I was over in the corner.” Tim paused. “I thought it’d get a reaction out of Henson. And I was right.”

“You were indeed.”

“Nice pic.”


	9. Another question-and-answer session

Another open day for high schools was scheduled, and - to McGee’s surprise - the Director told McGee that the outreach coordinator had specifically asked that McGee do another Q&A session for the students. When McGee asked if DiNozzo could join him once again, the Director said that that would be ideal.

McGee was the one to break the news to Tony. “Remember that session in the open day last May?”

“How could I forget?”

“They want us back.”

“They do. Are you up for it?”

“Sure, McEagerBeaver.”

“Perfect. And this time, if we get any questions straight out of left field, you can answer them.”

“Aren’t you scared of what I’ll say?”

“Nah. As we most definitely discussed on the last open day, I know that you’ve got my six.” He paused. “And anyway, I know all your secrets.”

“And I know yours.”


	10. Chapter 10

It was another few weeks before the larger team had an opportunity for a night out. Finally, though, on a rainy Friday, the whole MCRT made it to a sports bar in Georgetown, along with Abby, Ducky, Jimmy and a few others. 

The drinks were flowing freely, and the conversation was getting livelier by the minute. And Tim was quietly keeping an eye on Tony, who to the casual observer - or indeed almost any observer - appeared to be quite intoxicated and very merry indeed.

For the first time, Tim was trying out Tony’s approach himself. He had been drinking virgin mojitos all night, with the exception of one standard mojito that Abby had bought him.

“So McGee and I turn up at this wilderness training camp - in Vermont in January - and he’s dressed like he’s ready to go to a formal dinner dance in the warmest part of Arizona.”

“We didn’t exactly have much notice, Tony.” McGee carefully took another small sip of his drink. “Anyhow, you’re hardly one to pass judgment on wardrobe choices, wearing what you’re wearing tonight.”

"I wore it just for you, Probie.” Tony winked at McGee for extra effect.

There was silence for a couple of minutes as Tim considered his response and the others looked on with interest. 

After what felt like minutes, Balboa crudely changed the subject. "So that dead engineer really was into BDSM?" 

"Oh yes!" Jimmy was quite direct now that he had had a few beers. 

"I hope you guys aren't too disappointed that we didn't need to do any practical reconstructions." Abby smiled enigmatically, and then looked over at Ziva. "I can think of at least one person who was disappointed."

"That certainly would have been most interesting to observe. And I would have been careful to take particularly good photographs, for future reference." Ziva smirked at Tony, before continuing in a matter-of-fact tone. "Though I must note again that I would have been best qualified to do the tying."

"You'd be surprised." Abby got a murderous look from Tim in response to this comment, but the others seemed to take it as a particularly funny joke. Noting Tim's reaction, she continued with glee. "Timmy here might be the kinkiest person in this room. In a really hot way.” Abby smiled.

Laughter from the audience.

"Riiight. And I’m sober right now." Tony's comment, delivered with a suitable amount of slurring of words, was met with the expected laughter. However, Tim did not miss the very pointed look at him that accompanied the sentence - and Tim was far too good an observer to have missed the fact that Tony's pupils had dilated considerably immediately in response to Abby’s comment.

Tim pulled himself up in his chair and raised his glass to Tony.

"Yup, all that joking is just a façade. You're really the most serious member of the team." Tim was beginning to realise that this honesty-disguised-as-drunken-silliness was a lot of fun.

"Absolutely, Probie!" Tony slurred his words as he spoke, and then reached over for a big, messy hug.

Tim made a show of pulling Tony in even closer, and messing with his hair. "And that's why I love you."


	11. “You know you can just ask, right?"

Tony and Tim were the last to leave the bar. After checking that everyone else was out of sight, they headed to Tony’s car, which was parked around the corner.

“Thanks again for driving me home, Tony.”

“Not a problem. I’m heading that way anyway.” 

As soon as they were in the car, Tony continued. “So how much did you have to pay Abby to call you kinky in front of a room full of our friends?”

“Tony!”

“What?”

“I neither need to hide nor to publicize my kinkiness. It’s just one aspect of me.” Tim paused. “And not one that’s usually relevant to our work.”

“Except with the Brown case.”

“Except with the Brown case.”

Tony was uncharacteristically silent for the next few minutes.

“You know you can just ask, right? If you want to know more about rope? Or about me and rope? Or anything else like that. I’m happy to talk about it.” Tim paused. “Or even do a show-and-tell, if that would help.” 

“Like right now?”

“Whenever you want. It’s late now, but you’re sober, I’m just about sober, and we’re not on call. So why not?”

Tony paused for a moment before responding. 

“Your place or mine?”

“Your place or mine? Really? I know you’re not really like that, Tony.”

“I’m not, but I would prefer to do this somewhere that isn’t a moving vehicle.”

“Fine. My place. Since I have rope and you presumably don’t. Even if I’m just talking, props may come in handy.”

The two were silent for the rest of the drive. Tim could tell, though, that Tony was shifting in his seat as he tried to process what would come next.

When they finally made it into Tim’s apartment, Tim poured a glass of water for each of them before motioning for Tony to join him on the couch. 

“So.” Tim was the one to break the silence.

“So.”

“How would you like this to go?”

“Um….” For someone who sometimes kept rambling on for far too long, Tony was surprisingly tongue-tied. 

“You’re allowed to be curious. Or unsure. Even nervous. I know you well enough, Tony, that you’re not going to surprise me. And I think that we’ve established that I’m not the shy innocent that people assume that I am.”

Tim interpreted the look that Tony gave him in response as one of relief.

“I am going to need to you respond to me now. After that, if you want, I can take the lead.” 

Tony nodded.

“I need to you respond in words.”

“Ok.” Tony spoke quietly.

“Since that’s what started this whole discussion, do you want this to be about rope?”

“Yeah.”

“Would you like a practical demonstration, or just talking?”

“Demonstration” Tony answered very quietly, head bowed slightly but looking up at Tim through his eyelashes. Tim was getting to see a degree of vulnerability that Tony usually kept very well hidden.

Tim gently put a hand on Tony’s arm. “Thank you for being so honest.” Tim paused. “I’m need to go and get my rope. I’ll be right back. In the meantime, you might want to take the button-down off, so that you’re just in a T-shirt. Your shoes too.”

Tim disappeared into the bedroom, and Tony complied.

Tim returned after a minute or two, carrying what Tony now knew was called a tenugui. It was similar to the one that Tim had found in Brown’s bedroom, and it clearly contained a fair amount of rope. Like Tony, Tim had stripped off his outer layers, and was wearing just a T-shirt with his pants. Tim sat back down beside Tony, the bundle on his lap.

Tony looked at Tim with a strange mixture of lust and apprehension. 

“So here’s what I suggest: I’ll talk you through how some of this stuff works, and how it feels - and you can feel it for yourself, and ask me questions at any time.” Tim paused. “I want you to know that you can ask me anything. I hope that you feel comfortable with me, after everything we’ve been through together.”

“Understood.” Tony tried to match Tim’s light but sincere tone, but it was obvious to both men that he was feeling vulnerable.

“Do you think that you’d feel more comfortable if I blindfolded you? That may sound like a strange question, but it may help you to relax and focus.”

Tony paused for a few moments before responding with a note of surprise. “Actually, yeah. Please.”

“Just one more thing before we start. I’m going to be taking things very easy, talking to you and checking in with you constantly, but you should choose a safeword that you can use to signal that you are feeling uncomfortable and want things to stop right away.”

“Ok.”

“So what do you want the safeword to be?”

Tony smiled a little. “Magnum.”

“Magnum it is.” Tim paused. Tim set the tenugui down on the coffee table and slowly unwrapped it, revealing the bundled ropes and other items within. “These remind you of Brown’s rope collection, don’t they?”

“Yeah.” Tony managed a cheeky smile. “I guess you really did know what you were talking about.”

Tim smiled and nodded before picking up a piece of fabric. “Close your eyes.”

Tony closed them immediately, and then kept very still while Tim carefully wrapped the blindfold around his head and secured it firmly in place.

“How does that feel?”

“Weird.” Tony paused. “But not bad weird.”

Tim shuffled a bit closer to Tony, so that his lower leg was touching Tony’s. He would maintain this physical contact for the rest of this session. Tim then moved Tony’s right hand, which was nearest to him, to rest on his own thigh. He proceeded to wrap a length of rope around Tony’s wrist, securing it and then pulling on the remaining rope to move Tony’s wrist up into the air.

“That’s a single-column tie. Really basic stuff. But it’s a good starting point: it gives you a bit of a sense of what it feels like to be in rope - and what it feels like to give up control to someone with rope.” Tim paused. “One of the appealing things about rope is that it’s personal: it matches the specific shape of your body, and holds you tightly. Do you feel that?”

“Yeah, I do.” Tony was speaking quietly, and he seemed really caught up in the experience.

“You know, I have huge respect for how you stay alert and in control even when letting people think you’re not.” Tim paused again. “But it’s ok to let someone else have control for a bit, and to want that to happen. And please know that I’m happy to do that any time you need or want that. I know how important it is to have someone you trust enough for that kind of thing.”

“Thank you, Tim.”

After another minute or so, Tim quickly and expertly undid the tie, before pulling Tony’s left hand to join his right. Moments later, Tim had firmly bound the two together. “Still good?”

“Yeah.”

Tony moved his hands and wrists slightly, but generally kept his hands, as well as the rest of his body, remarkably still.

“Feel free to move. The knot will hold, and that will give you a better idea of how things work.” Tim paused before proceeding with a bit more of an edge to his voice. “And if I want you not to be able to move, you’ll know.”

Tony did wriggle a bit more, until Tim grabbed the remaining length of the rope and pulled it upward. Moments later, Tony found his hands behind his head, at neck level, with his elbows pointing up. With a few swift moves, Tim secured Tony’s wrists in position behind his neck by knotting the end of the rope that bound them to another loop of rope that he had fixed firmly around Tony’s waist, and then using a third length of rope to link bind the waist loop to each of Tony’s thighs.

“Talk to me, Tony. How do you feel?”

Tony took a moment to respond. “Vulnerable. But safe. I know that doesn’t make any sense. But that’s how it feels.”

“And do you like that?”

Tony paused to consider the question. “I think so.” He paused a bit longer before continuing. “Yeah.”

“Do you want me to change anything?”

“Not yet.”

“Would you like me to continue?”

“Sure.”

“So you might find that other parts are more sensitive now that you’re in this position.” Tim could not help but smile as he spoke. “May I touch you - above the waist?”

“Ok.” Tony answered quietly but without hesitation.

Tim gently stroked the back of his hand against Tony’s belly, and Tony instantly shivered. “That ok?”

“Yes.” Tony flushed slightly as he answered.

“How about this?” Tim tweaked one of Tony’s nipples, and then the other, quite gently.

To the surprise of both men, Tony found himself making a noise that could best be described as a moan.

“Use words, please, Tony.” Tim’s tone was firm, though not unfriendly.

Tony flushed a bit more. “That’s good.” It was Tony’s turn to smile now. Tim also noticed, with interest, a telltale bulge in Tony’s pants.

Tim continued to explore Tony’s upper body with his hands, checking in regularly to see if Tony was experiencing any discomfort. 

Tony’s arousal was increasingly evident, so Tim proceeded with a further question.

“May I kiss you?”

Tony paused for a moment before responding quietly. “That would be nice.”

Tim leaned in and kissed Tony, at first just pressing gently against Tony’s lips, but then increasing pressure once Tony parted his lips and enthusiastically added his tongue. The make-out session lasted several minutes, with Tony enjoying the freedom to focus intently on the kissing, his eyes and arms having been taken firmly out of the equation. Once things were firmly underway, Tim started gently caressing Tony’s torso once again.

Eventually, Tim felt a need to give Tony’s arms and shoulders a rest. After explaining what he was about to do, Tim carefully untied Tony and then removed the blindfold. The two were silent as Tim finished his work and quickly tidied up.

“Thank you, Tim.”

“Thank you, Tony, for trusting me.” 

After a moment, Tim pointedly looked down at Tony’s crotch. “Would you like me help with that as well?”

Tony smiled almost shyly. “It wouldn’t exactly be fair to get you to do that.”

“Why not? It’s my choice, and I’m happy to go there. And we’ve already established that I have experience in many areas, so you may even find that I’m pretty good at getting you where you need to be.” Tim paused. “So? May I?”

“Sure.”

“Hand or mouth?”

Tony’s eyes widened. Tim was neither innocent nor beating around the bush. “Hand.”

“Ok.” Tim paused and then smirked. “Mouth next time, maybe?” 

Tony seemed at a loss for words, so Tim undid Tony’s waistband and then reached in with one hand. With no hesitation, he found Tony’s cock, which - as anticipated - was already hard and leaking precum, and then expertly brought Tony to completion in very little time. Tony, who was flushed and breathless from the start, seemed able to do little more than lean his head back, close his eyes and enjoy the ride. 

After he had taken a few minutes to recover, Tony opened his eyes and looked sleepily at Tim. “Your turn now?”

“Next time.” Tim smiled. “For now, we should probably get you cleaned up and then get some sleep.”

Tony was very much looking forward to the possibility of a next time.


	12. Tony's place

Tony and Tim had to wait several days before they could talk about what had happened, or take things any further. They had quickly fallen asleep on the couch together, probably from sheer exhaustion, and a few hours later - despite not being on call - they had been called in to investigate a double homicide involving a high-ranking officer.

Two days later, an arrest was made and the reports were complete. The MCRT was told to go home at 4:00 p.m. Tony managed to catch Tim alone before they headed home. “Remember when you said you wanted me to cook for you again, Probie? Well tonight would work, if you wanted.” Tony paused. “Maybe you could bring your go bag? And your, um, other bag?”

Tim smiled brightly.

“So that’s a yes?”

“Yes. I’ll be there for 7, if that works.”

Tim had packed a bag for the night at Tony’s and was just walking to his car with it when the MCRT got called in on yet another new case. 

That situation escalated very quickly indeed - and it didn’t help that Fornell hadn’t called NCIS in until very late in the game. It turned out that the FBI had been hunting a serial killer who appeared to be targeting what Fornell referred to as “aging frat-boys”, killing them with particularly excessive violence. The FBI’s investigators had recently discovered that each of the victims had been accused - via texts and social media, but not formally - of sexual assault; all of the accusers had been women, and every case had some connection to the crew of a specific Navy aircraft carrier. The working theory, therefore, was that the killings were motivated by revenge, and that the killer or killers had a strong link to the Navy.

The initial briefing with Fornell and his team was tense. It only became more so when Tony realized that he recognized one of the victims as a fraternity brother who had been at Miami University when Tony was at Ohio State. Fornell was unmoved by this revelation, and decidedly unwilling to let it slow down or derail the briefing. 

Tony was still processing the information about his fraternity brother as Fornell started to explain why the FBI felt that there was an urgent need for an undercover operation. “We want someone to interact with the ship’s crew. Someone who’ll remind our killer, or our killer’s friends, of the other victims. Someone who can be convincing as a pompous, misogynistic asshole who knows his way around a frat house.” Fornell smirked at Tony. “Naturally, I thought of you.”

Tony react exactly as expected almost instantly, but Tim didn’t miss the flash of hurt in his eyes in the milliseconds after Fornell spoke.

“Tonight’s the last night of shore leave in Norfolk. We’ve identified the bar, and my people are working on logistics. We want you in place tonight, DiNozzo, doing that thing that you do. Officer David can go in as well, but the rest of your team will have to stay outside, working surveillance with whatever equipment we can access or get in place.”

Tony nodded grimly.

“And before we get into the fine details, one more thing that I can't stress enough: when you’re undercover there, you need to really be an asshole. From what I can see, that’s the one thing that all of the victims had in common.”

The op went about as smoothly as could be expected, which was not very smoothly at all. 

There was very little time in which to prepare, so Tony had to go in in what he was wearing (which, fortunately, was suitable enough for the undercover role), and he had to get the balance of the briefing on the journey to Norfolk. The FBI was particularly stretched - in fact, Gibbs’s team suspected that was a big part of why NCIS had been read in - with the result that Tony would have very little FBI support. Fornell himself had to stay behind in DC to handle another aspect of the case. And the bar was particularly unsuited to the needs of the operation, with lots of background noise, flashing lights, and a number of rooms, including a cellar, for which there could not be any effective surveillance.

Seeing a need to act quickly and decisively to get the op in place, Tony quickly took charge of the planning. Although he had barely rested or eaten in a few days, Tony studied the available floorplans and the case files, and made sure that Ziva and the FBI and NCIS agents who would be watching them understood his plans and the signals that he might give.

Once inside, Tony threw himself into the difficult and distasteful task of convincing fellow patrons that he was a sexual predator - while at the same time avoiding crossing any lines, and also trying to monitor the large crowd around him, since he had the best view of the venue. Meanwhile, Tim strained to hear Tony over the comms, and to watch Tony whenever he was within camera range and visible through the flashing lights and haze.

It was obvious to Tim that a great deal of Tony’s act was a stellar imitation of some of the least savory aspects of DiNozzo Senior’s public and private personas, while much of the rest had come from observations of suspects and perhaps even of fraternity brothers. With a drink in hand at all times, Tony worked the room, invading the personal space of one woman after another, ogling breasts and making lewd comments. For his troubles, Tony had at least two drinks spilled on him and was “accidentally” elbowed or bumped into at least six times. 

After less than an hour, Tony had identified two women who were behaving oddly - and also watching him closely. Tony subtly signalled for Ziva to get into position, and then started to make moves on her, all in plain view of the two women. Early on in the interaction, he grabbed Ziva’s drink and then held it out of her sight for a minute, hoping to give his audience the impression that he might be tampering with the drink. Next, he started whispering in Ziva’s ear while aggressively grabbing Ziva’s inner thigh. Seeing a need to get a natural and spontaneous reaction out of Ziva, Tony (still very much in character) made some particularly lewd suggestions into Ziva’s ear (which was the one in which she was wearing an earwig). 

Ziva promptly slapped Tony in the face, not holding anything back. The slap looked decidedly natural and spontaneous, which is exactly what it was.

Tony gave Ziva a withering look before turning to the nearest woman, who was looking on in horror, and yelling (to her breasts rather than to her face) “You can join in too! She can’t handle all of me on her own anyway.”

“TONY!” Tim couldn’t help himself. So much so that he didn’t care that Gibbs and Ziva could also hear him - and the real concern in his voice - over the comms. 

Tony turned back to Ziva, ostensibly addressing her. “What are you going to do - spank me?” 

In the van, Tim raised his eyebrows.

Tony then grabbed Ziva, who was starting to act as though she had been drugged, and with a drunken lurch to his step manhandled her into a dark corridor in the back of the bar. Only once he was positive that they were out of sight of all witnesses did he loosen his grip and look Ziva in the eyes. “I really hate this op. And I disgust myself.” He paused. “McGee?”

“Yes, DiNozzo.” 

“I think that we need to pull anything and everything that we can get on the two women who were at my four o’clock when I was out there with Ziva. Blonde hair with green eyes, about 5 foot 6 and wearing a green Old Navy sweater and black Gap jeans, holding an Android phone with a blue sparkly cover. And very short black hair with brown eyes, about 5 foot 8, wearing a blue Abercrombie T-shirt and Calvin Klein jeans.”

After about 20 minutes had passed - without anyone who had witnessed the scene looking for them - Ziva and Tony emerged from the corridor, Tony first, looking smug, and Ziva later, looking somewhat distressed. Ziva quickly left the club, but Tony stayed until last orders, continuing the act while also watching the room and keeping an eye on the two persons of interest. 

Finally, after 12 hours on the go - including the long journey home and the briefing that lasted almost the whole way - the MCRT was able to call it a night. Tony, who was looking absolutely exhausted but who was also extremely fidgety, easily agreed to let Tim drive him.

Tony was quiet, if restless, for the first few minutes of the drive home, and Tim drove in silence, letting Tony collect his thoughts.

Finally, Tony spoke. “That was one hell of a detour.” He paused for a moment. “But I hope that you still have your bags with you for tonight - which was last night at this point.”

Tim raised an eyebrow, and kept looking at the road.

“I’m not going to be able to sleep anyway.” Tony looked at Tim, who was still concentrating on driving. “And I think that it would help, if you’re not too tired.”

“I’m not too tired, Tony.” There was a genuine warmth in Tim’s voice.

“And in case you were wondering back there, that comment was directed at you.”

Tim considered Tony’s comment for a moment before responding. “You want me to spank you.” It was almost, but not quite, a question.

“I think I do.” Tony paused. “I’m curious, and I really liked what happened last time I trusted you with my curiosity.” He paused again, before speaking more quietly. “Also, like I said, I think it might help.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong tonight, Tony. You did your job, well.”

Tony took a moment to respond. “I know.”

Neither one was convinced that Tony really believed that.

The two soon arrived at Tony’s apartment. They rode up to Tony’s floor in silence, Tim carrying both of his bags with him. As soon as they were both inside the apartment, with the door closed behind them, Tim put a hand firmly on Tony’s shoulder, indicating that Tony should stand still.

The tremendous tension in Tony’s shoulders was obvious. 

“Do you still want to do this, Tony?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

"It doesn't have to be tonight, you know. It's not a one-time offer." 

"Tonight. Please."

“Remind me of your safeword.”

“Magnum.”

“And you’ll say that if anything gets to be too much for you, in any way?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. When I give the word, you will have five minutes in which to go into the master bathroom, get all of your dirty clothes into the laundry hamper and do anything that needs to be done. By the time the five minutes are up, I want you back here, standing still with your hands at your side. You can wear boxers if you want, but nothing else. Understood?”

“Understood.” Tony looked straight into Tim's eyes as he spoke.

While Tony readied himself, Tim shuffled around Tony’s apartment, setting things where they needed to be and ensuring that the rooms were warm enough and the blinds firmly shut. Tim then returned to the entranceway with a minute to spare, turning to stand with his back to the front door.

Tony emerged moments later. When he was almost at the prescribed spot, he made eye contact with Tim and then, with a mixture of fear and anticipation, pushed his boxers to his ankles and kicked them out of the way (untidily, Tim noted). Tony then immediately got into position.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Good. From now on and until we finish for the night, you will only speak when I ask you a question. Nod if you understand.”

Tony nodded.

Tim reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black silk blindfold. He reached up and expertly secured the blindfold in place, using his fingers to ensure that it fit snugly but comfortably, and looking carefully to ensure that it was properly blocking all of Tony’s vision.

Tim then picked up the short length of rope that he had put on the floor, and bound Tony’s hands behind his back in a simple tie before holding onto Tony’s upper arm and guiding him into the dining room. Tony’s movements suggested that he was surprised by the direction of travel, but Tony moved as guided without hesitation.

Tony’s steps became more cautious as they approached the area where Tony’s brain told him there should be dining chairs - but using firm but careful motions, Tim kept moving Tony forward and Tony did not bump into anything. Finally, Tim stopped. Moments later, Tony felt Tim firmly binding his right ankle, using what felt like the simple single-column tie that Tim had used before. Tony was just getting used to the sensation when Tim pulled the ankle to the side and secured it to a leg of the dining table. Tim then proceeded to do the same thing with Tony’s other ankle and another table leg.

Secured by his ankles to opposite ends of the long table, Tony was now very exposed. Tim was pleased to see that Tony’s cock was responding positively to this development; he was also happy to note that, despite his obvious excitement, Tony was breathing more steadily as he focused on the scene and on keeping his body balanced.

Standing with his chest against Tony’s back, Tim reached one arm around Tony and across his chest, while using his other arm to brace himself on the table. Tim then slowly lowered Tony down onto the table, carefully resting Tony’s head so that it was facing to one side. Tony was surprised to feel that Tim had covered the table with a soft blanket - but frustrated to find that he was positioned so that his cock was not making contact with the blanket, the table or anything else that might provide welcome friction.

Breaking contact with Tony for as little time as possible, Tim walked around the table before holding a hand reassuringly on Tony’s upper back for a few moments. Tony then reached over and untied Tony’s hands before carefully binding each wrist to a rope that he had already secured to one of the legs of this side of the table. Tony thus found himself bent forward over the table in a sort of modified spread-eagle position, completely at Tim’s mercy. And his breathing and his weeping cock seemed to indicate that he liked this very much.

Tim broke the silence, speaking very softly but firmly. “That spanking is about to become a reality, so if you want to use your safeword before it begins, now’s the time.”

Tony pondered this instruction for a moment before wiggling his behind as much as the bindings would allow. Tim took this as an indication that Tony was ready.

Tim kept the spanking fairly light and quick, conscious that this was a first for Tony, and that there would be opportunities to do more in future, if Tony was still interested. Tim started off with a soft leather flogger, warming Tony up and establishing a rhythm. After a deep intake of breath at the first gentle blow - which Tim suspected was more a product of the anticipation that of the blow itself - Tony started gently moaning, shyly at first but then quite openly, and writhing in response to the strokes. 

Soon, Tim switched to a medium-sized leather paddle. This took Tony by surprise. He yelped with the first strike to his well-warmed-up buttocks, but with each subsequent blow his responses sounded more and more like moans of pleasure. 

After nearly no time, Tim stopped. When Tony moaned, he spoke to Tony. “It’s best to leave you wanting more.” 

Tim took a few minutes to caress Tony’s ass and thighs before reaching over and briefly massaging Tony’s back, conscious that Tony could now feel Tim’s arousal pressing up against him through Tim’s slacks.

Tim then efficiently undid all of Tony’s bonds, leaving only the blindfold in place. He eased Tony into a standing position and then, after stretching and massaging Tony’s shoulders for a few moments and checking in with Tony, folded and secured Tony’s arms behind him in a rope harness. Tim then led Tony over to the piano bench, over which Tim had also draped a blanket while Tony was in the master bathroom. 

Tim sat Tony down on the bench, with Tony’s back facing - but not touching - the piano. Kneeling on the floor, Tim then pulled Tony’s knees far apart, exposing his cock. Hands firmly on Tony’s thighs, Tim sought permission to proceed. 

“May I use my mouth this time?”

"Yes" Tony's response was barely a whisper.

Tim blew on the tip of Tony’s cock, causing Tony to shudder. Then, keeping both hands on Tony’s thighs, Tim gave Tony a first-class blow job, licking and sucking before soon expertly swallowing him deeply. Tim had been able to tell before he started that Tony wouldn’t last long, and indeed it was only a few minutes before Tim was eagerly swallowing Tony’s release. He then quickly licked Tony clean before wrapping Tony’s torso in a strong embrace and carefully moving a weary Tony to the bedroom and onto the bed, lying on his back on top of the duvet.

Tim vanished for a second to get a fresh washcloth and then carefully cleaned Tony off before efficiently releasing the ropes. Finally, Tim lay down on his belly and wrapped and arm and a leg around Tony before speaking again.

“Are you ready for me to remove the blindfold?”

Tony considered the question for a moment.

“I’ll be right here when it comes off.” Tim paused. “And this can happen again. And again. If you want that.”

“I’m ready.”

Tim carefully removed the blindfold and then gently pressed his lips against Tony’s. The chaste kiss quickly turned into more, and Tony reached a hand down to Tim’s extremely stiff cock as the two writhed against one another. 

“May I?”

“I’d really like that, Tony.”

Tony applied just the right amount of pressure, in all the right places, while at the same time kissing Tim most passionately. Tim very soon came, and Tony then quickly used the same cloth - albeit slightly apologetically - before the two fell still, moving only to pull the duvet up around them.

“Maybe that kid a year ago had a point.”

“Maybe we ought to have figured this out for ourselves a lot sooner.”


	13. Answers

The new open day came around surprisingly quickly, and McGee and DiNozzo gave a spirited presentation to the students. Tony approach was again playful, and Tim’s restrained, but this time around each was much more conscious of the masks that the other was using for the event.

The question wasn’t quite as explicit this time, though the intention appeared to be the same. “You say that you have each other’s six. But aren’t there limits? I mean, what happens when there’s something that you just won’t do?”

“There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for my partner. That’s how it has to be. And I’m very happy that Special Agent DiNozzo has got my six. I’ve got his.”

Tony jumped in once Tim had finished. “That's right. My partner knows me better than anyone alive. And we would do anything for one another." He paused before continuing. "One day, if you’re lucky, you’ll understand.”


End file.
